The exemplary embodiments relate to communications and information management, and particularly, to the management of a user's communications through a resource manager that may be implemented on a user's computer, personal digital assistant, or other unit or device.
To stay in touch with others, a user may accumulate a number of communications devices, services, and a variety of information resources. With respect to devices, a user may have a telephone (also referred to as a wireline or landline unit). The user also may have a wireless unit such as a mobile telephone or cell telephone. Each of the telephones (wireless or wireline) may have one or more voice mail services, messaging systems, or accounts associated with it. In addition, the user may have one or more other devices or units for specific types of communications such as a pager (including an interactive pager (ipager)) for pages and other communications. Plus, a user may have a facsimile (fax) machine(s) for faxes. Further, a user may have a computer or other device including an electronic mail (e-mail), an instant messaging, or other communications services. The computer or other device may be used for communications over local or global networks, and may allow the user to participate in chat rooms, to conduct research, to receive news and updates, and to engage in similar activities. Thus, it is not unusual for a user to have eight or more communications devices and one or more communications services associated with each device. Of course, other factors (such as the user's family, friends, communications style) may increase or decrease the number of the user's communications devices and services.
To stay in touch with others, with respect to information resources, a user has much more available to him or her than just telephone directories or information from the local library. In fact, information from telephone directories, libraries, and other sources may be accessible in many ways such as through the use of directory assistance, fax delivery, or computer on-line services. A user may obtain a vast amount of information on myriad topics from a data network or through a global information data network such as the Internet.
Given the many communications devices a user may accumulate, the many communications services the user may access, and the vast amount of information available to the user through various sources, a user may find it overwhelming to efficiently organize and utilize the devices, services, and information resources. Accordingly, there is a need for methods and systems that manage a user's communications and information resources.